When I Am Happy Something Always Happens To Shoot Me Down :-)

GGGRRRR!!!! I have been knitting a nice, simple garter stitch shawl with some of my hand spun alpaca...I was getting really excited yesterday because I was running out of yarn which meant the end of the shawl was near. Within 10 seconds, the exciting feeling turned to pure disgust...The disgust feeling came when I realized that I had not been increasing for about 18 inches!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!!! This yarn does not frog very well, so I don't know what I am going to do!

On a happier note, we are going to Philly on Thursday!!!

Weekend With Good Friends

Yesterday, Steve and I went to the Longwood Craft Fair. We took a friend from Steve's work, Takako, with us and our friend Michelle meet us there. The day started out really well and that never changed! We picked up Takako and made it to the fair about 20 minutes early, so we got a great parking spot. We walked around to see what types of goodies they had. Takako was coveting and fondling a handmade piece of pottery at one of the first booths we passed. She was much better than I would have been, as she was able to put the piece down and say "I will see what else is here first". We wondered through the street looking at all of the wares for sale. I ran into the lady with the alpaca farm...and I bought her only skein of pink yarn (I had bought 4 or 5 when I met her in Mount Dora). I needed one more for a wrap pattern I found. I picked up a couple of bars of handmade soap.

Michelle met us there around 11 and we walked around again. I wondered off from them so Steve had to call me to find out where I was. While we were talking I heard Michelle start laughing in the background, then Steve whisper, "I gotta go" and he hung up. I continued to walk around. In about 2 or 3 minutes, I ran in Michelle and she told me what happened...She had been looking at some things and dropped her Pepsi on the table (yes, the drink spilled all over). Well, as she said, she grabbed Steve and they took off...What a couple of punks! :-) Anyway, she and I walked around. One booth we came upon had wood cut out of states on the outside, with a sign saying the other states were inside. You can probably guess what my first thought was, MAINE! Of course, it was there...It is in the shape of Maine, with MAINE cut out in the middle of it...Also, cut out in the middle is a pine tree, lobster and lighthouse. I think it is beautiful! I bought it with the intention of giving it to Steve while saying to him...since you gave Maine to me, I would like to give it back to you. I did give it to him and it was while we were still with Michelle and Takako...I didn't know it was going to make him cry!!!!!!

After all of this, we decided we needed to eat something other than a funnel cake, so we all loaded up into our truck and we headed to The Cheesecake Factory. YUMMY!!! Cobb salad for me, edamame for Michelle, omelette for Takako and omelette for Steve. Michelle was the only one of us that was able to withstand the lure of the cheesecake, because the rest of us took a piece to go! I love the cookie-dough cheesecake! We took Michelle back to her car, took Takako home and Steve took me to Tuesday Morning. I was looking through thier rather small yarn selection and was very shocked to see some of the Queensland Collection there...Well, I am not too impressed with that brand (the skeins I have are very splity), so I was able to leave it at the store! We came home and I went to bed!

Today, I spent most of the afternoon at Knit-N-Needle Nook visiting with Lora and doing a little knitting!

Should I take the Lendrum to Philadelphia????? That is the question of the week. Well, at least until Wednesday night. Okay, the more important question is, should I take my heavy coat????? :-)

OH MY GOSH and HOLY COW!!!!

This year’s Mount Dora Craft Fair is doing wonders for my fiber art wishes…As I mentioned in a previous post, I met a lady that owns an alpaca form near here. Well, she e-mailed me to let me know that another farm owner was interested in how much I would charge to clean and spin their fleeces!!!! WHAT???!!!!???? I am going to need to do some research quickly! :-)

I was looking for a way to turn my love of fiber and spinning into a business, is this that chance????

Spin Ply Sell and an Upcoming Trip

Well, let's see...I spent the two days of the Mount Dora Craft Fair at Knit-N-Needle Nook. During that time, I was spinning the green roving I picked up at the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival.



Amazingly, a lady asked if I would be willing to sell the finished yarn to her when I was finished with it. Of course, I said... I am in the plying phase now of the process. There are two obstacles I have left to overcome. The first being twist set. Is there anything special I need to do to set the twist other than soak in lukewarm water and hang to dry? The second, and biggest, is price. I think it is going to end up being about 1000 yds of a heavy lace or light fingering weight yarn. I have looked on Ravelry and on the web but really cannot find anything - maybe I am looking in the wrong places....

Steve and I are going to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving...this is an annual trip we make to visit with his family...and I am debating with myself about taking the Lendrum. Steve says no, I say yes...I can talk and spin at the same time. Plus it will give me something to do with my hands, but I will have knitting with me, of course....During this little trip of ours to Philly, I will be making a few trips to shops and farms (hopefully) around the area in search of local wool and other products! :-)

Teasing Kappy111!!!

Well, KnitChick decided she needed to "give me the business" because of my yarn buying dysfunction...Someone had commented they found yarn in a drapery shop in Ireland. I responded that I had found two skeins in the shop at The House of Seven Gables in Salem, MA. KnitChick thought she would tease me a little by saying "So of course you bought them both"...Yes, I did. They looked so lonely sitting there. Here is a picture of them.



As with the majority of my yarn purchases, these were on sale. Actually, the museum did carry some yarn, but stopped and these were the very last two they had!

Gosh, I love Salem. As you walk around, you can sense all of the history in that little town. If you ever happen to be in Salem and are looking for a good breakfast, go to Red's! YUMMY!!!! :-)

Pioneer Day at Chinsegut Nature Center

Yesterday, Jody, Melody and I spent the day doing a spinning demo in pioneer costume. It was actually our "first" anniversary - I met Jody and Melody at Pioneer Day last year. We had a great time. There were so many people that stopped by and were fascinated with what we were doing.

We were set up in the middle of the farm animal petting zoo, the gentleman that makes turkey calls and the cow milking demo...so we had the sounds of a "real" farm around us all day - quack, moooooo, cock-a-doodle doo, moooooo, baaaa, hee haw, quack - well, you get the picture.

At the beginning of the day, the lady from the petting zoo came over to chat with us. She happened to mention she had a cashmere goat (Aladdin) with her. I had never seen a cashmere goat, so I went over to see. I would have been content to look on from the outside of the pen, but she led me inside. One of the other goats started eating the corner of my apron, which, amazing, I found amusing rather than annoying. As this is Florida, Aladdin does not grow a very long coat, but when asked if I would like his fleece after the next shearing in March, I readily agreed. During the conversation, it was mentioned that they had 2 or 3 large bags of wool from their other sheep they wanted to get rid of...I readily agreed to those too. I want to learn to prepare a fleece, so what better way than with free wool. Also, it would be interesting to have some of their wool at Pioneer Day next year to demo the preparation and spinning of.

Here is what you have been waiting for.....

Me


Jody


Melody


Aladdin

Another Weekend

Last weekend (10/27 & 10/28), I spent both days spinning and knitting at Knit-N-Needle Nook in Mount Dora. The Mount Dora Craft Fair was taking place and Lora asked if I would be willing to come and spin. As I am one to never give up an opportunity to share my craft, I willingly agreed. Both days were wonderful and each day had it's own little great moments.

I believe Saturday must have been International Day at the shop because people from all over the world (Ireland, Germany, Dominican Republic, England and Russia) came to the shop. I really enjoyed a family from Ireland that came in - Mom, Dad and Daughter (6 years old). Daughter was very well behaved and well mannered. As with most 6 year olds, she got a little antsy after a while, but never once did she misbehave. I spent quite a bit of time talking with Dad while Mom was looking around at the yarns. He was telling me Ireland did not have many yarn shops at all. He said that maybe two or three, and those did not have great selection, so Mom had made a list of the yarns she wanted to pick up while on holiday over here. I was thinking a harmless little list of maybe a page or two...When Mom asked Dad for the list, he pulled about 15 pages out of his bag and I gasped in amazement - it kinda reminded me of my book wish list! In a disbelieving voice, I asked if that was the list. He grinned, rolled his eyes a little and said yes. During my conversation with him I found out that when they retire, they would like to have a winter house in Florida and a summer house in Maine (sound familiar, except mine would be a fall, winter, summer, spring, mud house). They also wanted to have an RV so they could travel to all of the states here. I told him there was a little irony in what he was telling me because I would love to travel Ireland, Scotland and England and even have a home over there. I gave him one of my cards to give to his wife, because I would really love to keep in touch with them.

Sunday was a little more subdued in the shop...but I think Sunday must have been New England day because there were a ton of people that came in with Red Sox (WOOHOO!!!! World Series Champs again!!!!) gear on and with the accent that I love! I actually walked around Mount Dora and looked at the wares being offered. Towards the end of the day, a group of ladies came into the shop. Two of them were not knitters so they sat down on the wagon wheel bench. One of the ladies was showing a beautiful knitted hat and pair of socks she had picked up at a booth. She said the people that were at the booth own an alpaca farm. I asked if she saw any fiber or yarn. She said she wasn't looking for that, so she didn't know. I asked where the booth was. She told me, using the phrase "right next to the lady with the loom". Of course, my heart started pounding at that and I couldn't get out of the shop quick enough! Well, unfortunately, the alpaca booth did not have any fiber, but she did have yarn...Which, as you can probably guess, I bought some of and, as is generally the way, she discounted it! We talked some about spinning and she said that a group is a member of has a show in Jacksonville in February. They would like to have spinners there, but can never find any. Of course, I volunteered. We have since traded e-mails and she had told me who to contact to get things set up.

This upcoming weekend is Pioneer Day in Brooksville, FL..Look for the pictures Saturday evening!